Forged in War
by PepperEva
Summary: Nathan wants to know who he is.  Faith wants to do her duty.  Catherine wants to help people.  And Drey just wants to protect her family.  Their lives are forged in war. OMC/George, OFC/OFC, some unrequited, canon pairings with a hint of Harry/Luna.
1. Disclaimer and Author's Note

**DISCLAIMER:**

I own nothing. I hold no claim to any of J. K. Rowling's creations and I will receive no profits from this story.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

This story is essentially an AU, though it conforms to the overall Harry Potter universe as J. K. Rowling meant it. There will be few major plot deviations, but I will not reiterate the entire story. This is really meant as a story about four characters that accumulates into their lives up until and beyond the Second Wizard War.

I wanted to explore the wizarding world through new perspectives. I will change few canon pairings, however, the epilogue does not happen precisely as it did in the books. Sorry if you're attached to it, but it allows for little deviation, and I want to view the Harry Potter books as a bit more open ended.

There is extra content including a trailer for this story in my profile.

Without further ado, read on!


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Nathan Warthorn was four-years-old when he met Draco Malfoy.

The Warthorns and the Malfoys had been friends for centuries. Despite the unpleasant rumors surrounding the Malfoy family, Garfield and Jessica Warthorn were Ravenclaws to the core, and refused to allow hearsay to dictate their alliances. The Malfoys were still held in high regard, and as such, were valuable friends to have. Thus began their weekly afternoon tea.

Nathan nibbled on a scone, looking up over the table. He could barely see his teacup, as he was quite short, being only four. A similarly sized boy sat across the table with the mean looking, long haired man and stern but pretty woman. Like the elder Malfoys, the boy, whose name was Draco, also had white-blond hair. It was the only part of him that Nathan could see properly.

Jessica chatted idly with Narcissa. "I've heard the most terrible things said about your house as of late."

"I assure you, nothing said is true," Narcissa replied, sipping her tea.

"I assumed so, of course," said Jessica. "It really is quite unseemly, the rumors people spread."

Conversation continued thus. Niceties were exchanged, and Nathan was bored out of his mind. He pulled a face. He saw Draco's eyebrows raise at his childish action, and Nathan blushed, ashamed he had behaved so. But then Draco stuck out his tongue. Nathan responded in kind. A war had begun.

Needless to say, their parents were not pleased with the immaturity of their children, but both Nathan and Draco had known a strong alliance was formed that day.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Drey loved Gryth. He was such a pretty bird. His beak was graceful and shaped like an arrow, colored the darkest of blacks. Drey loved watching him preen and groom his wings, because when they were open, they looked like a sunset. Because of this, she watched him almost everyday.

One day, Gryth burst into flames.

"Daddy!" Drey shrieked, running into her parents' garden. "Daddy, Gryth-!"

Joseph rushed to his daughter and enveloped her in a hug. "What about Gryth?"

Drey was crying so hard she couldn't speak. She just grabbed her father's hand and dragged him into the house, not stopping until she reached Gryth's perch. When she got there, there was nothing but ashes, and she let out another wail.

"Oh, honey, it's okay!" her father reassured her.

Drey would not be consoled. Her father clearly didn't understand the severity of the situation. "But... Gr-Gryth... he..."

"I know, but it's okay," said Joseph, brushing away the ashes. "He's supposed to do that. Look."

Standing on her tippy toes, Drey peered over the platform beneath Gryth's perch. Coated in ashes was a little baby bird. "Is that-?"

"That's Gryth."

Suddenly, everything was okay. Sure, Drey was confused, but Gryth was alive and apparently not serious injured, so she was okay too. "How did he do that?"

Joseph knelt down beside Drey. "He's a phoenix." Even more confused, Drey frowned and tilted her head to express her lack of comprehension. Joseph chuckled, and brought Drey into his lap. "He's magical, Drey. You see, magic exists. And you know your uncle Eric? Well, he's a wizard..."


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Wind and leaves rustled in time with footsteps as the two children ran through the garden, upsetting daffodils and snapdragons. Nathan was fairly sure he had tripped over a cat, but Draco said he had never seen a cat around the Manor before, so Nathan took his word for it. Of course, the grounds were so vast, and they so little, so it was possible Draco had merely never come across the creature before.

"We'll be friends forever, right?" Draco asked Nathan, looking up at him from the ground. Nathan was up in a tree, trying to find his way back down.

"Of course," Nathan replied, grinning at Draco. "But only if I don't get stuck up here."

"I'll catch you!" Draco promised, seeming determined to break his friend's fall.

Nathan peered down at Draco. "I'll squish you. I'll just-" He had no sooner lifted his foot than he tumbled to the ground, covering his head with his hands.

Draco hurriedly helped him up, worry apparent on his scrunched up face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Nathan checked his elbows. There wasn't a scratch on him.

"MASTER DRACO! MASTER NATHAN!"

"Uh oh," whispered Draco as he and Nathan hid behind the tree.

Nathan grabbed his hand. "We better run!"

They ran all the way back up to Draco's room.


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

The mirror reflected a perfect porcelain doll. Curled brown hair set in place, collar properly buttoned, skirt without seam or wrinkle. A child worthy of the Blacksnow line.

"Hurry up, Faith! We're to meet the Warthorns in Diagon Alley at half past!"

Faith pulled up her socks to the right height and made her way downstairs to the parlor. She didn't like Nathan Warthorn. He was too childish. Children of the noble houses weren't supposed to act like it. They were meant to be proper.

They were meant to be perfect.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Sunlight shone through Catherine Orchard's window when she woke up. As she wriggled out of her pajamas, she could swear she smelled cinnamon and butter.

Sure enough, when she ran down the stairs (to the concern of her parents), a large stack of French toast was waiting on the kitchen table. When she went to grab a slice, her sister stole it from her grasp.

"Hey, no fair!" she called as her sister, Maggie, dashed back up to her room.

"The train leaves in an hour!" Maggie shouted down the stairs.

Catherine took a different slice and set it on her plate, reaching for the confectioner's sugar. "Then get up earlier," she mumbled under her breath.

Her father was looking over her sister's ticket again. "Surely there's no Platform 9 3/4?"

"There is, dear," her mother, Marian, called from the sitting room.

"But really, there can't be."

"But really, there can be."

Catherine grinned into her toast. Ralph, her father, was always shocked by many of the eccentricities of the wizarding world. She, however, reveled in the lovely ridiculousness of it all. London always left her cold where Diagon Alley filled her with bubbling laughter.

"Is there a Platform 9 1/2? Or a Platform 9 1/4?"

"No, dear."


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

"You're going to go to Hogwarts, right? When you're older?"

Nathan looked up from his book. "Yeah, of course," he said, frowning. "Aren't you?"

"Uh huh," Draco said, nodding his head up and down. "I just wanna go to the same school as you."

"Me too!" Nathan agreed, also nodding. They kept nodding. And nodding. And then giggling.

When they had caught their breath, Draco asked, "Which house do you think you'll get sorted into?"

"Well, I think most of my family was in Ravenclaw, but you have to be really smart," Nathan said. "So, I don't know. I don't think I'm that smart."

"I think you're smart," Draco said very seriously. Nathan smiled. "I'm going to be in Slytherin. But even though you'll be a Ravenclaw, I'll still be your friend."

"My _best_ friend," Nathan insisted.

"Fine," Draco replied, poking Nathan's book with his toy broomstick. "Your _best_ friend."


End file.
